The vaccine used in pulse polio immunization campaign in India

The Correct answer is Pentavalent vaccine.

Key Points

• Pentavalent Vaccine:
  • Pentavalent vaccine protects against five major diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTP-hepB-Hib).
  • The addition of Hib vaccine provides protection against one more deadly disease.
  • The number of injections administered under UIP during the first year of life reduces from nine to six.
  • It does not require reconstitution.
  • As per National Immunization Schedule, Pentavalent Vaccine should be started for any child aged more than 6 weeks and can be given up to 1 year of age.

Additional Information

• India's Vaccination Campaign against Polio:

  • With the global initiative of eradication of polio in 1988 following World Health Assembly resolution in 1988, Pulse Polio Immunization programme was launched in India in 1995.

  • Children in the age group of 0-5 years administered polio drops during National and Sub-national immunization rounds (in high risk areas) every year. About 172 million children are immunized during each National Immunization Day (NID).

  • The last polio case in the country was reported from Howrah district of West Bengal with date of onset 13th January 2011. Thereafter no polio case has been reported in the country (25th May 2012).

  • WHO on 24th February 2012 removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild polio virus transmission.